Accounting Management

The goal of accounting management is to measure network utilization parameters so that individual or group uses on the network can be regulated appropriately. Such regulation minimizes network problems (because network resources can be apportioned based on resource capacities) and maximizes the fairness of network access across all users.

In performance management, the first step toward appropriate accounting management is to measure utilization of all important network resources. Analysis of the results provides insight into current usage patterns and usage quotas can be set at this point. Some correction, of course, will be required to reach optimal access practices. from this point, ongoing measurement of resource use can yield billing information as well as information used to assess continued fair and optimal resource utilization.